


Let It Lie (those little things define us)

by selinipainter



Series: Until The End [2]
Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Gen, Post LSODM, Valduggery - Freeform, i am sorry i just had to fic this after i did a meta on it on tumblr, maybe? idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-29 23:23:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1011304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selinipainter/pseuds/selinipainter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Nearly five years later, they had come full circle.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let It Lie (those little things define us)

**Author's Note:**

> This is not exactly a direct look at Valkyrie and Skulduggery's relationship. But I felt it needed an outsider's view. I hope the subtext conveys it well enough.
> 
> Inspired to an extent by Bastille's Bad Blood.

_The mess of people, abominable. No organisation, no system._

China thought as she walked past the mages. They were repairing, strengthening and fortifying the Sanctuary for the time being till a better alternative could be found.  The noise created by them, was it really necessary? She re-evaluated her decision to assume office. She knew she was signing up for something troublesome, something worthy of her. Knew perfectly well that it was going to drive her to the ends of the earth and then some. What she never thought or accounted for was how soon it would drive her mad. China considered letting someone else take over. If she told Valkyrie this, she would laugh.

China stopped. People whipped around her, as if she were the calm in the storm. If only that were the case.

_No, the child would have laughed._

_S_ he recollected, reconvened. There would be time later to think this over, think this through. The thoughts were running circles in her mind, did she really want Valkyrie dead, gone beyond reach. She continued walking, she needed to find Dwale.

Valkyrie had been far too young. Most of the times, she never seemed so. She had held her own against Vex and Saracen, gone toe to toe with much older sorcerers and defeated them. She carried herself with an air, not a presumptuous one. More of an air of worldly experience, as if she had seen all there had to be seen. Personally, China believed that it was true, Valkyrie did not have the centuries on most members of the sorcerers’ community.

But she lived, she had seen many things. Didn’t that account for more than age should have? _Had lived._ It is hard, thinking of her in the past tense. China drew in a breath, let it out. Carefully, she gathered her thoughts. She would think about Valkyrie later. When there was nobody, when she was alone, when she could finally… what? Mour—

_No._

China did not relent in her pace. It was not an option. It still persisted, curled in itself in a corner. Waiting for when she was alone. No, she had a Sanctuary to run, a sorcerous community that emerged from war, wounded, broken and many dead. She had people to see, she needed to begin brokering an information system again. Informants, she ran through a list in her head.

Myosotis would be the easiest to begin with. This is what she needs Dwale for. The last time she heard, the two had similar abilities. Not quite the same, but the similiarities were there. Given this, she knew that Dwale was the best man for the job.  No, Skulduggery would have been the best man. But since the war, he was handicapped. He needed Valkyrie to ground him, to give him focus of a sort. Now with Valkyrie gone, she was _the_ focus for him. China knew this and planned with it in mind.

She rounded a corner and found Dwale, aiding the Elemental sorcerers in clearing the rubble near the memorial.

“Dwale,” China said. The man turned and suddenly, all the sorcerers stood still.

“My lady,” a sorcerer, mousy looking with filthy clothes stepped forward and promptly fell. China sighed. If this was what she had to work with, it was no wonder no one protested her decision.

Gently, she said, “There is much to be done. See to it that these corridors are clear then, gather in the Council chambers. Dwale, I need to speak to you alone.”

She drew him aside, gave him instructions and let him go. He would find Myosotis somehow and through her, she could gather more information. A woman with her talents surely would be able to go many places. China considered the fact that the woman was a German mage and then discarded the problem. She knew she would find a way around that. For the moment, she needed to initiate contact.

She needed to find Saracen next, needed to ask him if it would be a wise decision to tell the mages – her mages about Valkyrie and Darquesse right now or if she should wait. At least there was one thing she could be sure of; there would be no problem in gaining help to seek out Darquesse. She laughed at that. She sent a mage to find him and returned to the Grand Mage’s chambers.

***

Nearly 5 years later, they had come full circle. Five years ago, it was Skulduggery who had gone missing. Skulduggery was lost to them. At least she had thought so. China had made peace with that, it had been much easier then as she had so long ago lost him to his wife. He was not hers. That had only lasted for two days. Then, Valkyrie had turned up in her library, strode in and demanded China help her find the Murder Skull.

China immediately knew what Valkyrie was planning. Dangerous, no. It was far beyond that, reckless, ill advised. Yet, she helped Valkyrie. No one deserved to languish with the Faceless Ones. Worse yet, China knew that the Faceless Ones would enjoy torturing Skulduggery. Ghastly and Tanith once approached her, worried that Valkyrie was far too consumed by the quest.

China held her peace then. She had implied in few words that she understood and supported their concerns. All the while knowing, if Valkyrie were to falter, she would persuade the girl back on track. But she knew Valkyrie, knew that she would continue doing everything in her power to bring back Skulduggery even if it meant she would die trying.

Asides from herself, Ghastly, Tanith and Fletcher, there had been not much help in finding and saving Skulduggery. In fact, many people especially Davina Marr and Thurid Guild had done everything they could to prevent it.

“China.”

She turned her head. Speak of the devil indeed. Skulduggery had been watching her but  it could not have been long. She would have noticed him. He adjusted his hat and stalked forward.

“The refle—Stephanie has agreed to help us. Till a sighting of Darquesse is reported though, we can’t move,” he said, voice flat.

China gets tangled in her words, before she could even say anything.  Previously, she had to be careful in what she told Skulduggery. She liked being evasive, not letting them know everything. Where was the fun in being direct, no, she liked being mysterious.

Now, she has to be careful for far worse reasons. Skulduggery was slipping, and there was no Valkyrie to restrain him. She waited till he reached her desk.

“The English Sanctuary has offered their help. Their psychics are on a lookout.”

“They won’t find anything, China,” Skulduggery said, “Darquesse will allow herself to be seen, only to lead us into a game. The most reliable way in this situation are the eyes on the ground.”

China gathered her nerves, she needs to broach this with him before he strolls off on what amounts to a suicide mission. “There is the matter of backup, you cannot go on this suicide mission alone.”

“Stephanie has the Sceptre,” Skulduggery muttered.

She looked at Skulduggery, “Their help is freely given.”

He summoned a flame and snuffed it, “Thing is would they be more help or hindrance?”

She knew this. Knows that they are all eager to help, unlike when Skulduggery was missing. But their help would come at a cost. She knew that they would not stop at finding Darquesse, they would do their level best to kill her. China knows that this is also the reason that he refuses the help.

“One would think you are eager to meet your death, Detective Pleasant. Going in with a reflection, a human one that has no magic,” China wondered where was his sarcasm, his wit. It was as if she were talking to a shell, a hollow version of him.

He tilted his head and his response, coldly delivered, echoed in her head and she knew his words to be true. He stalked away as she watched. What a painful image it cut, to see him now. There was an emptiness that gaped beside him. China knew then, she had sent him to his death or his salvation. Both ways, she had damned him and there was naught she could do now.

“Don’t you know, Grand Mage Sorrows? I am," he paused, "Was already _dead._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> This was mainly triggered by my meta on tumblr about how we have come full circle, [this](http://bcbbimxrse.tumblr.com/post/64475881911/i-just-realised-we-have-come-full-circle) meta specifically. From Dark Days to Last Stand Of Dead Men.
> 
> I chose China to carry this story, because of all the characters, China has probably the most regular contact since the beginning with Valkyrie and Skulduggery. Plus, I legit like China.
> 
> Please review and let me know what you think. Thank you!


End file.
